Leo with astonishment a test of Benjamin Prad or on emotion overwhelms him to walk Isla Negra, one of the houses Pablo Neruda . As if the houses of the writers were going to be different than the rest of mortals. Or as if literature were to permeate walls, furniture and decorative items.
The admiration for writers born, I hope, appreciation of his work, from reading his books. Beyond of the texts we can place more or less distant views, ideas and beliefs. But place your objects, rooms and their places of residence in the focus of admiration seems a bit strange, sickly gossip about the TV show mid-afternoon that interest in the origin of the literary fact. Assume, as do Prado that Isla Negra, on the outside, like it was Neruda inside, it seems especially foolhardy and extremely pretentious. Neruda, who also famous living writer, was a politician and man of the world, was able to envision what would become Black Island to his death. That is, Isla Negra is not just a place that reflects the personality of the dwelling, but a theater where Neruda a mausoleum is set in life. Neruda did nothing more than emulate other mortals who longed for life after death, and the most durable pharaohs who built the pyramids.
transfer admiration for a text, which is something without form or coordinates in space, towards the objects is something I can not understand. This cult of personality reminds me more of the admiration that caused the Soviet dictators who might be the writers. Preserved in a museum objects belonging to Lenin the most humble and banal, clothing and even underwear. This admiration reaches the height of fanaticism on display the body of Vladimir Ilyich , and long lines of Communists believe that before perestroika formed to visit. Now, the queues are Western tourists, and the corpse has been recently renovated, shined and cleaned up, so bored traveling to Moscow to say the famous phrase of dueling carpetovetónicos Celtiberian: poor, seem to be asleep .
abound famous writers' homes to be visited, most of them have subsequently been rebuilt, based on mere assumptions or simply the desire to create an attractive business. While the manuscripts, papers, notes and speeches by the writers listed in bequests, libraries and university departments, the houses lie in the tourism industry, often encouraged and subsidized by the local authority duty. It is understandable in towns away from the bustle of traveling for pleasure, but dangerously abundant places visited, waiting to make a small hole in the tight schedule of the modern tourist, who suffers from the rush of the circuit of seven cities in five days, or As a friend, "the noise of we-go."
Many of these homes become "learning centers", which organizes lectures, talks and events homage, recognition and celebration of perpetual anniversaries. There is always something to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of something. All played mostly wide public support, let us not forget that manage foundations created for this purpose. I would think that the government already have on literature study centers, mainly in universities and research centers, and municipalities consist of houses of culture and function rooms to celebrate all celebrate. So it can not be more superfluous these institutions, built guess for cultural tourism, it seems that can be devoted to travel to the most unlikely places popular tourist beach or Disneyworld . And possibly pay more for less.
admiration for the writers also leads to extreme interest in the smallest details of his life. The excuse for this is the intenciónde discover his most intimate literary reasons, understanding the mind so that we can understand his work. However, I fear that in most cases, this curiosity is more in an unhealthy tendency to gossip and backbiting, not far from popular curiosity to the famous turn. The ratings of "reality shows " show that the interest can be by anyone, whether known or not. Hundreds of fans pilgrimage to the Paris cemetery of Père-Lachaise to find the tomb of favorite writer, coinciding with fans of rock musicians or film actors. Guides are exclusively devoted to visiting the corners of the city that have been involved in famous movies, if you sit on the bench who used Woody Allen and Diane Keaton .
What interests us more than a writer? Does your work or your private life? And if we find something we do not like in life, if your personality is not to our liking, "disown all of their literature? VS Naipaul is a little read author in Spain but who won the Nobel prize for literature in 2001. The discovery in an authorized biography of bad behavior with women is not surprising, knowing his usual statements on race and gender equality. However, there are critical important to these revelations, have decided not to read any more of his books. Naipaul is defended by saying that the most important thing for him has always been literature. Is not that what we expect from a writer?
